Liquid-resistant connectors and covers for equipment using the same

ABSTRACT

A water-resistant connector for use with fabric and sheet-like material comprises two plates stitched to each other on either side of and through the fabric or sheet-like material with at least one gasket made of an elastomeric material such as neoprene being placed between one of the plates and the fabric or sheet-like material. The gasket is stitched through and compressed between the plates so as to press against the stitching for water resistance. A suitable elastomeric material is a sheet of elastomeric compound adhered to either side of a reinforcing scrim. A rain cover for a camera and lens includes a water-resistant connector attached on the outside to a neck strap and on the inside to a strap system secured to the camera and lens whereby the camera and lens can be supported by the neck strap when the rain cover is protecting the camera and lens. A gasket may be provided encircling an eyepiece of the camera.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 61/244,396, filed on Sep. 21, 2009 for“Liquid-Resistant Connectors and Covers for Equipment Using the Same,”by Douglas Harland Murdoch and Michael Sturm, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The field of the invention relates to connectors.

2. Discussion

Connections must sometimes be made to water-resistant or waterproofsheeting without defeating the water-resistant or waterproof quality ofthat sheeting. For example, a waterproof bag intended for use in whitewater rafting may have to be connected to a shoulder strap or a handle.A tent fly may need to be connected to a line to secure the tent againstwind. The means by which the connection is made should not lead toopenings in the sheeting that will cause leaks when exposed to moisture.This could happen if the connection is sewn to the sheeting because thestitching will penetrate the water-resistant or waterproof sheeting. Itmay be possible to avoid the use of stitching by welding or gluing theconnector to the sheeting. Stitching, however, is most commonly usedbecause it is easier to use, is well known, does not require expensivewelding equipment, is strong, and is reliable.

Hitherto, connections to water-resistant or waterproof sheetingutilizing stitching have been secured against moisture by applying awater-resistant tape over the stitching or by applying a sealant to thestitching, in the same manners as seams are sealed. This is a laboriousand sometimes uncertain solution. It may be difficult or impossible toseal stitching in certain cases by using these means.

An example of a connection that is difficult to seal using conventionalmeans is one that would permit a shoulder or neck strap to be used witha rain cover for a camera and lens. Some current rain covers pass theshoulder strap through openings in the rain cover to anchor points onthe camera body or lens. This makes a breach in the barrier againstmoisture provided by the rain cover.

Preferably, the strap would be connected to the rain cover and the raincover would be connected to a supporting strap that would support thecamera and lens.

Attaching the shoulder or neck strap to a connection point on theoutside of the rain cover, and the supporting strap to a connectionpoint on the inside of the rain cover, would permit the shoulder or neckstrap to support the camera and lens through the rain cover withoutpermitting moisture to pass through the connection area. This kind of aconnection has not been accomplished because of the difficulty ofproviding connection points that both would be able to support theweight of a camera and lens, which can be considerable for a digitalsingle lens reflex camera and a large lens, such as a 70-200 telephotolens, and would be waterproof or at least water-resistant. Thedifficulty is increased by the presence of connection points on bothsides of the fabric.

SUMMARY

A stitched connector to a sheet-like material that resists the passageof a liquid, such as waterproof fabric, is provided that will alsoresist the passage of the liquid. In an embodiment of the connector, thesheet-like material is water-resistant fabric and the liquid is water.

In a preferred embodiment of the connector, a water-resistant connectorcomprises two plates stitched to each other through the sheet-likematerial, with at least one gasket made of an elastomeric material beingplaced between one of the plates and the sheet-like material, the gasketbeing stitched through and compressed by the plates so the gasket willpress against the stitching and the sheet-like material. A preferredelastomeric material is a sheet of elastomeric compound adhered toeither side of a reinforcing scrim. An additional gasket may be providedbetween the other side of the sheet-like material and the other of theplates.

In an application of the connector according to the invention, a raincover for equipment, such as a camera and lens, includes awater-resistant connector attached on the outside to a neck or shoulderstrap and on the inside to a strap system secured to the equipment,whereby the camera and lens can be supported by the neck or shoulderstrap when the rain cover is protecting the equipment.

A rain cover for a camera and lens may be provided with a transparenthood for a flash unit that can be folded out of the way when the flashunit is removed from the camera. It may also be provided with awater-resistant gasket in the vicinity of the eyepiece of the camera,the gasket being made of an elastomeric material with a hole in it,wherein an elongated eyepiece may be substituted for the regulareyepiece of the camera and the elongated eyepiece may be inserted thoughthe hole in the gasket and the gasket will seal against the eyepiece toprevent the entry of water around the eyepiece. A preferred elastomericmaterial for use in the eyepiece gasket is a sheet of elastomericcompound adhered to either side of a reinforcing scrim. A pocket may beprovided on the rain cover for securing the elongated eyepiece when itis not in use.

These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed description,the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid-resistant connection accordingto the invention of two lash tabs to liquid-resistant fabric sheeting.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the connection of FIG. 1, taken along theplane 2-2 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the connection of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an expanded view of a preferred form of the gasket accordingto the invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the gasket of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rain cover for a camera and lensaccording to the invention that employs a water-resistant connectionaccording to the invention to attach a shoulder or neck strap and acamera support strap to opposite sides of the same location on the raincover.

FIG. 7 is a close-up perspective partly cut-away view from above of thewater-resistant connection of the rain cover of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the connection of FIG. 7, taken along theplane 8-8 shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a close up perspective partly cut-away view from below of therain cover of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view from the rear of the rain cover for acamera and lens of FIG. 6, shown without an eyepiece.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a rain cover for a camera, lens, andflash unit according to the invention employing a water-resistantconnection according to the invention to attach a shoulder or neck strapand a camera support strap to opposite sides of the same location on therain cover.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the rain cover of FIG. 11 with theflash unit cover shown folded down when the flash unit is detached fromthe camera body.

FIG. 13 is a close up perspective partial cut-away view from the rear ofthe rain cover of FIG. 10, shown with an eyepiece.

FIG. 14 is a perspective rear view of the rain cover and eyepiece ofFIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the eyepiece of FIG. 13 shown mountedon the camera.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the eyepiece and part of the rain covertaken along the plane 16-16 shown in FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A preferred embodiment of a connector for use with a sheet-like materialthat resists the passage of liquid comprises two plates stitched to eachother through the sheet-like material with at least one gasket made ofan elastomeric material such as polychloroprene being placed between oneof the plates and the sheet-like material and being stitched through andcompressed by the stitching so the gasket presses against the stitching.A suitable elastomeric material is a sheet of elastomeric compoundadhered to either side of a reinforcing scrim.

A rain cover for a camera and lens may be provided that includes awater-resistant connector attached on the outside to a shoulder or neckstrap and on the inside to a strap system secured to the camera andlens, whereby the camera and lens can be supported by the neck strapwhen the rain cover is protecting the camera and lens.

The sheet-like material may be any sheet-like material that prevents thepassage of a liquid and can be stitched through. Usually the liquid iswater and thus the characteristic of preventing the passage of liquid isreferred to by the word “water-resistant” in this specification. Thespecification will refer to the liquid as being water although it willbe understood that the devices and methods disclosed in thisspecification may be applicable in situations involving other liquids.

The quality of resisting the passage of a liquid is a relative term,especially in regard to fabrics. All fabrics may be said to resist thepassage of a liquid in some degree ranging from minimal, as in the caseof gauze, to completely, as in the case of the vinyl-impregnated fabricsused in inflatable rafts. “Waterproof,” “water-resistant,” and “waterrepellent” are all terms applied to fabrics having the quality ofresisting the passage of a liquid such as water. Laboratory testingprotocols are used to provide definitions of the “waterproofness” offabrics in terms of hydrostatic head. One definition of “waterproof”requires a fabric to withstand the pressure of over 1,500 millimeters ofwater without leaking. In other words, a horizontal layer of fabricwould have to withstand the pressure of 1.5 meters of water standing onit without leaking. This is not the only definition or test ofwater-proofness. The W.L. Gore Company, for example, tests outergarments made with GORE-TEX fabric with a “Rain Room Test” that isdesigned to simulate a variety of rain conditions, in which droplets ofwater of different sizes are projected at various speeds at the outerwear to determine whether it will leak.

This specification will use as the following as the general definitionof the term “water-resistant” when applied to sheeting such as fabric ora connection to the sheeting: “will not permit the passage of water whenexposed to rain for an hour or more.” It will be understood that a“water-resistant” sheet-like material and connector will resist thepassage of other liquids even though the definition is stated in termsof water.

The sheet-like material could be plastic sheeting or a fabric treated toresist the passage of a liquid, usually water. The connectors describedbelow are attached to the sheet-like material by stitching. Thestitching process involves the penetration of the sheet-like material bya needle in order to insert a thread or threads. This process normallyreduces the capacity of the sheet-like material to resist the passage ofthe liquid in the vicinity of the stitching.

FIGS. 1-3 depict a connector 1 to a sheet-like material, in this casefabric F. Fabric F is water-resistant. The connector 1 comprises theplates or lash tabs 10 and 20 on either side of the fabric F. The lashtabs 10 and 20 are preferably made of a plastic material such asthermoplastic rubber and are joined by the stitching 5. The stitching 5penetrates the water-resistant fabric F and normally would lead toleakage through the fabric F when exposed to water on one side of thefabric F.

The connector 1 would be difficult to make water-resistant using knowntechniques such as taping and/or applying sealant, because of thepresence of the lash tabs 10 and 20 on both sides of the fabric F. Itshould also be noted that each of the lash tabs 10 and 20 may beattached to the straps S1 and S2, respectively. Depending on the use ofthe straps S1 and S2, the stitching could be placed under tension ifeach of the lash tabs 10 and 20 was to be placed under a load from thestraps S1 and S2, respectively. The tensioning of the stitching wouldadd to the difficulty of making the connection 1 water-resistant,because of the tendency of the lash tabs 10 and 20 to separate from thefabric F.

The connector 1 further comprises the gaskets 30 and 40. (The structureand composition of the gaskets 30 and 40 will be discussed below inconnection with FIGS. 4 and 5.) The gasket 30 is placed between the lashtab 10 and the fabric F. The gasket 40 is placed between the lash tab 20and the fabric F. The stitching 5 passes through the gaskets 30 and 40and holds them in place along with the lash tabs 10 and 20. Thestitching 5 provides a force that compresses the gaskets 30 and 40against the fabric F and against the lash tabs 10 and 20, respectively.

A preferred structure of the gasket 30 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (thesame structure preferably is used in the gasket 40). The gasket 30 iscomprised of three layers: the elastomeric layers 32 and 36 are adheredto either side of a scrim sheet 34. The elastomeric layers 32 and 36seal around the holes in the fabric F caused by the stitching 5. Thescrim sheet 34 prevents ripping of the elastomeric layers 32 and 36during the sewing of the stitching 5 and the cutting of the gasket 30.The scrim sheet 34 preferably is a sheet made of fabric that isresistant to tearing.

A preferred material for making the elastomeric layers 32 and 36 issynthetic rubber such as polychloroprene. Neoprene is the more familiargeneric term for this man-made rubber product. It is produced by DuPontDow Elastomers LLC.

Neoprene sheeting without any scrim material attached to it is weak andeasily damaged. Therefore, conventional neoprene sheeting has a scrimlayer, sometimes called a backing, attached to both sides of theneoprene layer. The scrim layer or backing is typically a woven orknitted polyester or nylon fabric.

Neoprene sheeting with outer scrim layers is not preferred for use in agasket in a connector according to the invention because the scrimlayers interfere with the necessary intimate contact of the neoprenewith the holes in the fabric F and the lash tabs 10 and 20 under thecompression induced by the stitching 5. The three layer structure of thegasket 30 (and the gasket 40, which preferably has the same structure),in which the reinforcing scrim layer is the middle layer, was speciallydeveloped for the preferred embodiments of the connectors according tothe invention. As will be seen, it has additional uses in which thesealing effect of the external layers of elastomeric material iscombined with the strength provided by an internal scrim.

FIG. 3 shows how the connector 1 is assembled into the completed formshown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The stitching 5 secures the lash tab 10 and thegasket 30 to one side of the fabric F and the lash tab 20 and the gasket40 to the opposed side of the fabric F. The lash tabs 10 and 20 aredrawn toward each other by the stitching. This compresses the neopreneof the gaskets 30 and 40. The neoprene of these gaskets is elastic and,under compression, will seal around the stitching 5 where it passesthrough the gaskets 30 and 40 and against the holes produced by thestitching in the lash tabs 10 and 12 and the fabric F. The stitchingprocess preferably should produce an adequate compression by setting thesewing machine to have upper and lower thread tensions in order toproduce a tight stitching. No specific guidance, beyond the productionof a tight stitching, can be stated because the amount of thread tensionto be set will depend on the materials employed and the sewing machineemployed.

In a test, a connector 1 of the form shown in FIGS. 1-3 with gasketsmade as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 was prepared. The fabric waspolyurethane-coated nylon and would be considered waterproof under the1,500 millimeters of water hydrostatic test described above. Thewaterproofness of the connector was tested by placing the fabric withthe connector over a large bowl, the connector being centered in thebowl, and allowing the fabric to sag so that water could be poured ontop of the fabric and the connector and retained there, with a hollowspace between the fabric and the bottom of the bowl. The connector wasunder a layer of water that covered the connector. After three hours,the fabric and connector were removed from the bowl. No moisture hadpenetrated into the bowl below the fabric and connector and no moisturewas to be observed on the fabric or connector on the side facing thebottom of the bowl.

The connector 1 may be modified in many ways in accordance with thedisclosure. In general, compression supplied to an elastomeric sheet(the gasket) seals the holes produced by stitching in a sheet-likematerial such as a fabric. The elastomeric sheet preferably should beforced against the sheet-like material by being compressed between twoplates. The plates preferably should be of a substance that ispreferably less flexible than the gasket in order to resist deformationdue to the tension of the stitching. The plates thus will be able toprovide a substantially even compression of the gasket in the vicinityof the stitching, even though the plates may still be somewhat flexible.

The plates in the connector 1 are the lash tabs 10 and 20. It will beunderstood that other plates might be employed, such as one lash tab anda flat plate, disposed on opposed sides of the fabric as are the lashtabs 10 and 20 of the connector 1. Another alternative would be toprovide a plate with a connection to a D-ring on one side and afeatureless plate on the other. Many variations of plates are possible.

It will also be understood that the gaskets may be made of materialsother than neoprene, as long as those materials have sufficientelasticity. Alternative elastomeric materials preferably should haveother desirable properties, such as durability.

It is also possible to employ only one gasket, preferably but notnecessarily on the weather side of the connector, rather than two, aslong as sufficient compression is achieved between the plates(represented by the lash tabs 10 and 20 in the connector 1).

FIGS. 6-10 depict a rain cover 50 for photographic equipment, namely acamera C and a lens L. As shown in these drawings, the camera C is asingle lens reflex camera body and the lens is a telephoto lens such asa 70-200 millimeter variable focal length lens. The rain cover 50 isdesigned to fit over the camera C and the lens L in order to protectthem from atmospheric moisture such as rain, while permitting thephotographer to use the camera C and the lens L.

The rain cover 50 is made of water-resistant sheeting. A nylon fabricwith a polyurethane coating on the interior and a durablewater-resistant (DWR) coating on the outside is currently preferred forthe sheeting. The rain cover 50 has, as integrally joined components, asleeve 60 for the lens L, a cover 55 for the camera C, a sleeve 65 forthe right hand of the photographer, and a sleeve 70 for the left hand ofthe photographer. A zippered opening (not shown in the drawings) in thebottom of the camera cover 55 and the lens sleeve 60. The seams joiningthese components are preferably stitched seams and are taped for waterresistance. The components could be joined in another way, such as bywelding or adhesives. The rain cover 50 described thus far has the samegeneral structure as that of rain covers currently on the market, suchas Think Tank Photo's HYDROPHOBIA® 300-600 rain cover for a camera andlens.

The sleeve 65 permits the right hand of the photographer to access thecontrols, battery, and memory cards of the camera C. The sleeve 70allows the left hand of the photographer to access the lens L and itscontrols. The photographer may support the camera C and the lens L inhis or her hands inserted through the sleeves 65 and 70, as shown inFIG. 10.

The sleeve 60 is secured to the lens L by the strap 61. The strap 61 isattached at one end to the outer end of the sleeve 60, runs through aD-ring at another location on the outer end of the sleeve 60 and isdoubled-back and secured to itself using hook and loop fasteners.Typically, the lens L has a hood attached to it in order to protect theouter optical elements of the lens L and the strap 61 will secure thesleeve 60 to the hood attached to the lens. The sleeve 60 also bears apocket 62 that contains a rain cover for the opening of the hood on thelens L.

The rain cover 50 is provided with a neck or shoulder strap 80 forsupporting the camera C, the lens L, and the rain cover 50 from theuser's neck or shoulder. The strap 80 is attached to a water-resistantconnector 100 attached to the rain cover 50. The connector 100 is inturn connected to a lens support strap system 150 that is secured to thelens L.

The connector 100 is shown in more detail in FIG. 7 and especially thesectional view of FIG. 8. The outer and inner connector plates 110 and120 are connected by the stitching 105 around a sandwich comprised ofthe outer gasket 130, the fabric of the camera cover 55, and the innergasket 140.

The outer and inner connector plates 110 and 120 shown in the drawingsare similar in shape and material. The outer connector plate 110 has theslots 114 defined in it on either side of the bridges 112, which permitthe outside anchor straps 170 to be threaded through the slots 114 underthe bridges 112. The outside anchor straps 170 are connected to theloops 174 by the stitching 172. The loops 174 pass through and securethe rings 176. Each end of the strap 80 is looped through one of therings 176, and the loop in the strap 80 is secured by the tri-glide 82.The use of the tri-glide 82 to secure the looped end of the neck strap80 permits the length of the neck strap 80 to be adjusted by the user.

The strap 80 and its means of attachment to the connector 100 could bedesigned in any of a number of ways. The particular version shown anddescribed in connection with the drawings, although currently preferred,could be altered to use side release buckles or any of a number ofconnection means.

The lens support strap system 150 is located underneath the connector100 and is best seen in FIGS. 8 and 9. The inner connector plate 120 hasthe slots 124 defined in it on either side of the bridges 122, whichpermit the inside anchor straps 151 to be threaded through the slots 124under the bridges 122. One of the inside anchor straps 151 is connectedto the strap 154 by the stitching 152 and the other of the anchor straps151 is connected to the strap 153 by the other of the stitching 152.

The strap 153 loops around an end of the female component 156A of theside release buckle 156. The strap 153 is also sewn to the protectivesleeve 160 by means of the stitching 162. The protective sleeve 160 ispreferably made of neoprene sheeting and serves as a protective bufferbetween the side release buckle 156 and the tri-glide buckle 155, whichare made of relatively rigid plastic such as polyamide (nylon) orpolyoxymethylene (polyacetal), and the lens L.

The strap 154 is looped through the tri-glide buckle 155. The length ofthe strap 154 from its attachment to the anchor strap 151 to thetri-glide buckle 155 may be adjusted, when not under tension, by slidingthe strap 154 through the tri-glide buckle 155. This will permit thelens support strap system 150 to fit itself to lenses of differentdiameter.

The male component 1568 of the side release buckle 156 is connected tothe tri-glide buckle 155 by the strap 158. The strap 158 is secured toitself by the stitching 159.

The side release buckle 156 permits the lens support strap system 150 tobe unfastened and thus disconnected from the lens L. Once disconnected,the lens support strap system 150 may be adjusted to a lens of differentdiameter by sliding the strap 154 through the tri-glide buckle 155.

The lens support strap system 150 could be made in a different mannerand from different components. For example, hook and loop connectionstrips could be employed instead of the side release buckle 156 and thetri-glide buckle 155.

The gaskets 130 and 140 preferably are made of the neoprene material andscrim described in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5 and function in thesame way as the gaskets 30 and 40 described in connection with FIGS.1-3. Thus, compression of the gaskets 130 and 140 will make theconnector 100 water-resistant despite the challenging situation ofhaving to support the weight of the camera C and lens L across theconnector 100.

Prototypes of the rain cover 50 have been constructed and tested forwater resistance as follows. In a first test, a portion of the raincover containing the connector 100 was placed over the top of a bowl andcovered with a layer of water. In another test the rain cover was placedover a camera and lens and then exposed to a mist-producing machine inorder to simulate a moist, raining environment. In both tests the raincover prevented the passage of water for at least two hours.

A rain cover with a water-resistant connector for attachment to a neckor shoulder strap as disclosed above could be supplied for equipmentother than a camera and lens, such as any equipment that needsprotection from moisture and may be supported by a strap such as a neckor shoulder strap. Examples of such equipment are binoculars,telescopes, and Global Positioning System receivers. It will be clearthat any number of other types of equipment could be supplied with suchcovers.

FIG. 10 shows the rear of the rain cover 50. The camera cover 55comprises a clear or translucent viewing sheet 180 that fits over theback of the camera C. An eyepiece gasket 185 is sewn to the sheet 180 ina position that will place it over the eyepiece of the camera C. Thesheet 180 is may be made of thermoplastic polyurethane or polyvinylchloride or materials with similar characteristics. Polyurethane ispreferred because of the toxicity of the process for preparing polyvinylchloride presents environmental concerns.

The controls and display of the camera C will be visible through it forinspection by the photographer. The viewing sheet 180 has a rain flap190 attached above it. The rain flap 190 can be rotated over the viewingsheet 180 in the direction shown by the arrow 191 in order to protectthe eyepiece gasket 185. In that position it would be secured to theviewing sheet 180 by hook strips 192 and loop strips 194 sewn to,respectively, the rain flap 190 and the viewing sheet 180. The rain flap190 is preferably made of a water-resistant fabric.

FIGS. 11 and 12 depict a variant of the rain cover 50 that includes aclear or transparent flash cover 200 attached to the top of the cameracover 55 in order to accommodate a flash unit FL attached to the top ofthe camera C. The flash cover 200 is preferably made of thermoplasticpolyurethane or polyvinyl chloride or materials with similarcharacteristics. As noted above, polyurethane is preferred because ofthe toxicity of the process for preparing polyvinyl chloride presentsenvironmental concerns. The flash cover 200 is sewn to the top of thecamera cover 55. The seams between the flash cover 200 and the cameracover 55 preferably are sealed.

FIG. 11 shows the flash cover 200 deployed in the upright position whenthe flash unit FL is attached to the camera C. In FIG. 12 the flash unitFL has been removed from the camera C and the flash cover 200 has beenfolded out of the way into the pocket 205 that is attached to the top ofthe lens hood 60.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are a close-up of a portion of the back of the raincover 50 showing the eyepiece 90 inserted through a hole 187 provided inthe eyepiece gasket 185. The eyepiece 90 is provided with the rain cover50 that is designed to cooperate with the rain cover 50. It is designedto replace the eyepiece provided with the camera C. The eyepieceoriginally provided with the camera C is slid off the camera C and theeyepiece 90 is slid on the camera C in its place. The eyepiece 90 isdesigned to match the eyepiece mounting system provided by the cameramanufacturer. When not attached to the camera C, the eyepiece 90 isenclosed and secured in the pocket 63 attached to the outside of thelens hood 60.

FIG. 15 shows the eyepiece 90 mounted on the camera C. The eyepiece 90has a shaft 92 that is narrower than the face 94. This difference indiameter produces a shoulder 96. As shown in the sectional view 16, theshaft 92 is long enough that the eyepiece gasket 185 will rest againstthe shaft 92 and under the shoulder 96 when the eyepiece 90 is insertedthrough the hole 187 in the eyepiece gasket 185.

The gasket 185 preferably is made of the gasket material shown anddiscussed in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5. It has been found that usinga gasket material made of two elastomeric sheets joined to a centralscrim provides a seal against the eyepiece shaft 92 that will betterresist the penetration of water between the gasket 185 and the shaft 92.

While illustrative embodiments of the devices and methods disclosedherein have been shown and described in the above description, numerousvariations and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled inthe art and it should be understood that, within the scope of theappended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described. Such variations and alternative embodiments arecontemplated, and can be made, without departing from the scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

1. A rain cover for a camera and lens, comprising: a water-resistanthood for the camera and the lens, a connector located at a top side ofthe hood comprising outside and inside plates opposedly disposed outsideand inside the hood, a gasket comprised of an elastomeric materialdisposed between one of the outside and inside plates and the hood, andstitching joining the outside to the inside plates, the stitchingpassing through the gasket and the hood and tensioned in order tocompress the gasket between the one of the outside and inside plates andthe hood, wherein the outside plate comprises an outside anchor forattachment to a neck or shoulder strap and the inside plate comprises aninside anchor for attachment to at least one of the camera and lens. 2.The rain cover according to claim 1 further comprising a strap attachedto the inside anchor, the strap being sized to encircle and attach tothe lens.
 3. The rain cover according to claim 2 wherein the insideplate comprises two inside anchors and the strap has a first endattached to a one of the inside anchors and a second end attached to another of the inside anchors.
 4. The rain cover according to claim 2wherein the strap further comprises a buckle whereby the strap may bedisconnected from the lens.
 5. The rain cover according to claim 1further comprising a second gasket comprised of an elastomeric materialdisposed between the other of the outside and inside plates and thehood, wherein the stitching joining the outside to the inside plates,passes through the second gasket and the hood and is tensioned in orderto compress the second gasket between the other of the outside andinside plates and the hood.
 6. The rain cover according to claim 1further comprising a transparent sleeve attached to the top of the hoodfor covering and protecting a flash unit attached to the camera.
 7. Therain cover according to claim 1 further comprising a gasket attached tothe hood in the vicinity of the eyepiece of the camera, the gasket beingmade of an elastomeric material and defining a hole; wherein an eyepiecehaving a shaft may be inserted through the hole in the gasket andattached to the camera, the gasket being in close contact with the shaftof the eyepiece.
 8. A rain cover for a camera and lens, comprising: awater-resistant hood for the camera and the lens, a gasket attached tothe hood in the vicinity of the eyepiece of the camera, the gasket beingmade of an elastomeric material and defining a hole; wherein an eyepiecehaving a shaft may be inserted through the hole in the gasket andattached to the camera, the gasket being in close contact with the shaftof the eyepiece; and wherein the elastomeric material is comprised oftwo sheets of an elastomeric material adhered to either side of a scrimsheet.
 9. A rain cover for equipment, comprising: a water-resistant hoodfor the equipment, a connector located at a top side of the hoodcomprising first and second plates opposedly disposed outside and insidethe hood, a gasket comprised of an elastomeric material disposed betweenone of the first and second plates and the hood, and stitching joiningthe first to the second plates, the stitching passing through the gasketand the hood and tensioned in order to compress the gasket between theone of the first and second plates and the hood, wherein the first platecomprises an outside anchor for attachment to a support strap and thesecond plate comprises an inside anchor for attachment to the equipment.10. The rain cover according to claim 9 further comprising a strapattached to the inside anchor, the strap being sized to encircle andattach to the equipment.
 11. The rain cover according to claim 9 whereinthe inside plate comprises two inside anchors and the strap has a firstend attached to one of the inside anchors and a second end attached tothe other of the inside anchors.
 12. The rain cover according to claim11 wherein the strap further comprises a buckle whereby the strap may bedisconnected from the equipment.
 13. The rain cover according to claim 9further comprising a second gasket comprised of an elastomeric materialdisposed between the other of the first and second plates and the hood,wherein the stitching joining the first to the second plates, passesthrough the second gasket and the hood and is tensioned in order tocompress the second gasket between the other of the first and secondplates and the hood.